The house was quiet as he opened the door. He pulled off his jacket, shaking off the rain and hanging it on the hook.
He didn't bother turning on the light as he crossed the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and reaching for a bottle of water. A noise made him pause. It sounded like a creak. Like someone was stepping ever so slightly. But there was no one home. He was alone.
The wind slammed a branch against the windows, making him jump.
"Just the wind, you doofus." He laughed at him. He downed the bottle of water in only a couple of gulps and tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin in the corner.
Crossing the dark room, he stopped. Something felt wrong. No something smelt wrong. Metallic almost. First thought was ozone from the storm. But something told him no. Something told him it wasn't that. It was something else.
As he reached the hallway, he slid his hand across the wall to flip on the light switch.
He barely had time to register the presence of someone else before he felt a sharp pain, the sense of falling and darkness.